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Moses is Namibia's best hope for World Youth Champs

Namibian new find Klaudia Moses aims to make a meaningful impact at the World Youth Championships in Bressanone Italy next month.

She drew attention at the Southern Africa Youth Championships in Tshwane South Africa on June 13. In a space of four hours, during the competition featuring 11 countries, Moses won gold medals in the 3000m (9:47.27), 800m (2:12.27), and 1500m (4:37.00). She later anchored the Namibian medley relay (100m, 200m, 300m, 400m) to earn a bronze medal.

“My strategy was to gauge how my opponents run. When I realised the pace was slow I went ahead to run my own race. I had a lot of confidence as I had proved my abilities against senior athletes two weeks earlier,” says Moses.

At the Southern Africa Senior Championships in Gaborone Botswana on May 30, Moses bagged a bronze medal in the 1500m (4:28.19) before claiming a silver medal in the 800m (2:09.55). To crown the day, she was part of the 4x400m relay that claimed a bronze medal.

“My focus is to do well at the World Championships. I am confident of improving my personals best of 4:23.56. I want to make the people of Namibia happy,” Moses says with a broad smile.

“Agnes Samaria is my heroine. She retired last year and so someone has to take over from where she finished,” Moses explains. Samaria was Namibia’s double bronze medallist in the 800m and 1500m at the Africa Senior Championships in Addis Ababa Ethiopia.

Perhaps what is most remarkable about the Moses is her ability to recover before her next race. “Her outings to Botswana and South Africa were basically training runs. She is more confident and should not be overawed by her limited internationals exposure when she goes to the World Youth Championships,” says Namibian coach Letu Hamhola.

Other notable performances at the regional championship came from Botswana’s Orabile Babolai whose life time best in the 400m hurdles (1:02.62) ensured she qualified for Bressanone. South Africa’s 100, 200 and 400m sprinters Richmond Collins (10.50), Sean de Klerk (21.55) and Jacques de Swart (47.92).

South Africa is also strong on the infield where the boys shot putters Donovan Stebbing (19.65) and Frans Schuttle (19.19) are complemented by girls hammer thrower Annemie Smith (51.47) and Simone Meyer (50.15) in the discus.